3 Mar 2016

Derry v Galway - How it happened

When
Niall Loughlin placed his shot beyond the dive of Manus Breathnach in the last
seconds it reduced Galway’s lead to three points.It flattered the home team who played second
fiddle all afternoon.

The consensus in the buildup
to this game centred on it’s importance in the promotion race and afterwards
the opinion was that it was going to be a dogfight to see who joins Tyrone in
the promotion mix.

It was a flat Derry
performance.Brian McGuckin and Cailean
O’Boyle both admitted that it was a concern but with Tyrone up next on Saturday
evening, it certainly is the perfect pick me up.

Kevin Walsh’s side ran Derry
ragged and the fact their wing backs contributed 0-5 between them tells it’s
own story.

The key in sport is not to
get too carried away with your wins and similarly don’t dwell too much on the
defeats.

This week that will be
easier said than done but when Derry assemble to pick through the rubble of
this defeat, they will discuss the merits of moving the ball quicker.

Anytime they did on Sunday
the Oakleafers made headway against the Galway defence.It just didn’t happen often enough.

Another aspect was Derry’s seventeen
spurned chances in comparison to Galway’s ten.

Here are the key moments
from the game.

TEAM SELECTION – Derry lined out as selected, Galway
started Shane Walsh ahead of Fiontain Ó’Curraoin with Tom Flynn switching to
midfield.

With
Eamon Brannigan playing in a more advanced role, he was followed by Ryan
Ferris.Gareth McKinless lined out at
centre back on Shane Walsh.

At
the other end Clonbur’s rookie full back Declan Kyne had the task of shackling
Mark Lynch, David Wynne picked up Daniel McKinless before he was black carded
after ten minutes for a foul on James Kielt.Finian Hanley came into the defence.

The Oakleafers were against a slight
breeze and attacked the Brandywell end in the first half.

8mins – After a well contested opening
period Galway opened up a two point lead.Derry lost possession in a clustered half forward area, Tom Flynn
counter attacked and Adrian Varley scored the point. Derry 0-2 Galway 0-4

19mins – Ryan Bell stopped a period of Galway
dominance with a point off his supposedly weaker left foot.Derry
0-3 Galway 0-7

28mins – Leading by four points Galway had a
half chance for a goal.Tom Flynn was
again involved linking with Eamon Brannigan who despite having Liam Silke and
Johnny Heaney as options for a possible goal, Brannigan opted for a point.Derry 0-5 Galway 0-10

35mins – Despite being outplayed, Derry got
themselves back into contention.James
Kielt made a spectacular catch, gave to Ciaran McFaul and he expertly passed to
Ryan Bell and the Ballinderry man curled perfectly over with the outside of his
right peg.Derry 0-7 Galway 0-10

HALF TIME – Derry kept Galway waiting at the start
of the 2nd half as inside the dressing room they reorganised and
addresses their first half failings.Niall
Holly came in at midfield, with Rogers dropping into his måore accustomed
defensive role.

Brian
McGuckin and Kevin Walsh indicated after the game that Galway’s first half dominance
should have yielded more than a three point lead.

39mins – GOAL Any plans Derry had during the
interval were scuppered when Adrian Varley took advantage of Johnny Heaney and
Damien Comer’s approach work to fire home Galway’s goal.This killed Derry’s chances of making a
comeback.Derry 0-7 Galway 1-11

43mins – Ciaran McFaul is central to Derry’s
counter-attacking approach.He also had
setup two points for Ryan Bell.He was
dismissed for a black card for a trip.Derry missed his influence. Derry
0-8 Galway 1-11

48mins – TALKING POINT Danny Heavron launched a long ball
towards Mark Lynch in the penalty area.After gaining possession and using his body to shield the ball, it
looked like the Banagher man was fouled by Declan Kyne.

At
the time it looked insignificant as Derry were at sea in many sectors but with
only three points between the sides in the end, a penalty here could have
changed the game.Derry 0-8 to 1-13

73mins – GOAL With time almost up Derry won
possession from Breathnach’s kick out after Bell’s sixth point.When the ball came to substitute Niall
Loughlin, the Greenlough man calmly slotted to the net.It put a bit more respectability on the
scoreboard.Derry 2-12 Galway 1-18